An Echo in the Mist--A Warrior Cats Fanfiction
by Echo Scourge
Summary: The death of a young River Clan apprentice, brought about by a trespassing Thunder Clan warrior, starts a war between the two clans. Follow the adventures of Streampaw, as he works alongside his rogue friend, Echo, to restore peace once again to the clan they both love. (Rated K plus for violence.)
1. Chapter 1

Herringpaw tried to drag herself up onto the bank of the river, clawing futilely at the slippery edges. She only succeeded in pulling out several clumps of grass and soil. The young River Clan apprentice made several more attempts before half-accomplishing her task. Exhausted, she draped herself over the edge, her forepaws on the bank and almost all of the rest of her in the icy river.

Herringpaw glanced down at her wound. Though the freezing chill of the swift-flowing river numbed the pain, the apprentice saw the red of her blood clouding the once-clear waters. She knew that she was dying. The trespassing Thunder Clan warrior had ripped into the soft flesh of her underbelly, leaving deep gouges and tearing the pelt off of her midriff. The enemy cat had also killed her mentor.

_I thought I was strong enough... _Herringpaw thought. _I thought I was strong enough to save you, Riverpelt. I failed you. I'm sorry._

"I'm s-sorry," Herringpaw said out loud. Blood rose in her mouth and dribbled out onto the riverside grass.

_River Clan will hear about this, _Herringpaw vowed. _And when they do, Thunder Clan will have a price to pay. I swear, Riverpelt, our deaths will not go unnoticed. Star Clan sees all._

And not a single thing, save for Star Clan, saw the six-mooned apprentice die on the bank of the river on that sunny afternoon.

Not a single thing.

**I was intending this to be a one-shot, but I thought it was too interesting to not continue it. Updates will be irregular because I am really busy right now. Review and tell me what you think...this is my first Warriors fanfic.**

**-E.S.**


	2. A Grim Announcement--The Beginning

Chapter Two: Discovery

Streampaw, like all the other River Clan cats, was shocked by the double killing of Riverpelt and Herringpaw. He could not believe that the two cats were dead. Streampaw had known Herringpaw for as long as he could remember.

The apprentice paced around his den, thinking. If Thunder Clan cats had trespassed on River Clan's territory, and they had killed two River Clan cats, which gave proof that they were hostile, what would become of the Clan? After all, Thunder Clan had grown to be much larger than River Clan, and recently, even more warriors had joined Thunder Clan. Was there anything he could do?

"What's on your mind, Streampaw?"

Streampaw jumped. Once again, his mentor had sneaked up on him.

"The business with Herringpaw and Riverpelt, Rainfur." Streampaw replied, looking at his mentor. The sleek-furred black cat certainly looked powerful. If only most of the warriors in the Clan were as powerful as he was. Streampaw hoped to someday become just as big and strong as his mentor was.

"Ah, yes," replied Rainfur, shaking his head in disgust. "A terrible business indeed. Sandstar was furious when he found out. He hasn't appeared before his clan cats or spoken to anyone in days, as far as I know."

"I'm mad too." Streampaw growled. "Herringpaw was my friend."

"I know." Rainfur said, sympathetically. "I know."

From somewhere around the vicinity of the warrior den, Greyclaw came trotting up. The grey-furred cat appeared excitedly agitated.

"Rainfur! Streampaw!" he cried, stopping in front of the pair and panting. "I've got news!"

"What sort of news?" Rainfur asked.

"Bad news," Greyclaw replied. "It's about Sandstar. There's going to be a war on. Three more cats were killed today."


	3. The Beginning of the End

Chapter Three: News

"What?!" Streampaw and Rainfur shouted simultaneously.

"I don't believe it..." Rainfur gasped. "_Three_ more warriors?"

"Yes. They were on Dawn Patrol this morning. Halfear, Wavepelt, and Leafshade are dead. Spottednose found them dead by the river just a few hours ago. There's no doubt it was Thunder Clan. Their scent is all over that area." said Greyclaw.

"And Sandstar just declared war on Thunder Clan?" Streampaw inquired.

"Yes." Greyclaw replied. "Well, what did you expect? Wouldn't you do the same thing if you were Clan Chief?"

Streampaw considered this for a moment. Yes, he supposed he would.

"The Leader wants you at a meeting. He's calling a Clan Gathering." Greyclaw said to Rainfur.

"My apprentice and I will be there." Rainfur nodded. "Come with us, Streampaw."

Greyclaw shook his head. "You'll have to go by yourselves. I have to tell the elders, and their den is further up. There are also some cats out hunting that I have to give the news to. You know the way, don't you?"

"Of course I know the way. I live here, don't I? Follow me, Streampaw."

Rainfur took off towards the center of clan camp with Streampaw running directly behind him.

* * *

When they reached the center of camp, there was already a multitude of cats gathered there. Sandstar was amongst them.

"Rainfur, you're late." he frowned, then cleared his throat. "Never mind. Back to the subject. I'm afraid this means war, cats. If we ignore these acts of such utter disrespect to our boundaries and our cats, Thunder Clan will see us as a weak, vulnerable target-one which, given the chance, they shall exploit in whatever way pleases them. Now, we all know that we must not let Thunder Clan get away with their crimes. There is only one thing to do in this situation, and that is...to fight."

Streampaw suddenly had a flashback to when he was a kit, and the storyteller was giving the kits a lesson in history.

_"...and then, Star Clan gave the cats a message...unite, or die."_

_Unite or Die._

Sandstar's voice droned on and on about things like honor, and territories, and ancient clan laws, but Streampaw was paying no attention to the words his Clan Leader was saying. He was thinking his own thoughts. How would an all-out war between the two clans affect Star Clan? Maybe Star Clan had forgotten about River Clan. Maybe they wanted Thunder Clan to win. And what good would war do?

Then again, what good would it to go up to a hulking Thunder Clan warrior and ask him to peacefully negotiate a treaty with River Clan?

No good at all.

Neither solution worked. Streampaw tried to listen to Sandstar. Rainfur seemed to be paying an awful lot of attention...

Maybe-just maybe-it was time for Streampaw to visit his friend again.

Echo, the Rogue of the Rivers.


	4. A Flashback to Past Memories

As he sat dutifully by his mentor, half listening to Sandstar's speech, his mind had a flashback to the day he first got acquainted with the rogue.

_It was a beautiful summer day. The river birds were singing to each other with their usual strange calls. Streampaw, named Streamkit then, could hardly wait to have all sorts of great adventures. He was a mischievous and adventurous kit, and today he had managed to slip out of camp unnoticed. Streamkit wanted to see the world. He was tired of being cooped up in a smelly, hot den with yowling, squirming kits. He was finally free, outside in the open, without any cat to scold him or cuff his ears for some mistake he had made. Streamkit laid down by the riverbank and breathed a deep breath of the wonderfully scented morning air. He noticed a small fish lying in the grass beside him, and began gnawing on its flesh without a second thought._

_"That's not yours, you know."_

_Stream sat upright with a jerk. A she-kit of about four moons was staring at him from several feet away. The sun glistened off of her sleek, black fur. Flexing her claws, she made her way over to Streamkit and sat down by him._

_"Who are you?" Streamkit asked, warily. This stranger was no River Clan cat. This must be a rogue. The she-kit carried the scent of a rogue all over her._

_"I'm Echo."_

_"Well, I'm Streamkit. I'm from River Clan, and I'm not afraid of you!" Streamkit tried to put on a brave face._

_"I'm not in any clan. I think my mother was, but she's gone now. I'm on my own for the time being. Is it all right for us to be friends?" _

_"I...I guess so," Streamkit answered. He was, in fact, almost certain that it was not all right for a River Clan kit and a rogue kit to be friends. He had never heard of anything like that happening before. But, so long as River Clan never found out...he supposed it was fine._

_"Oh, good," replied Echo. "I never had any friends, except for you. I'm sure we'll be best buddies!"_

_"Yeah...best buddies." Streamkit smiled. He had never really had many friends himself, except for that apprentice, Rainpaw. _

_Streamkit's well-sharpened senses alerted him to the approaching presence of some cats from his clan._

_"My clan's coming!" Streamkit whispered. "You'll have to run. If they see me with you..."_

_"Can we meet here again?" Echo was also whispering. "We could have so much fun."_

_"I'll be here at moonhigh three nights from now." Streamkit promised. _

_"Bye!" Echo smiled to him, and disappeared into the tall grasses._

Streampaw had met Echo again, just a few nights ago. He would sneak out of camp at night, visiting the same bank where he and his forbidden friend had met the first time. She was becoming big, and powerful.

Streampaw had considered telling Sandstar, or Rainfur, at least, about his friendship with the rogue. She could be a valuable help during times such as these, but telling the clan would definitely get him kicked out. Friendships with cats from other clans were acceptable, so long as the cats remained true to their clans. However, friendships with rogues was definitely out of the question. It was simply not allowed.

Streampaw knew it was only a matter of time before his secret night visits were found out. It would be best for him to tell someone, rather than to have his secret discovered on its own. And maybe now was the right time.


	5. The Price for Friendship

**Hello again!**

**I am probably going to update this again next Wednesday. I have a bunch of chapters lined up, just in case I get the dreaded writer's block. I was going to post this on Friday, but the chapter was calling to me. **

**Also, you may have read this in the review, but I made a misprint in chapter three during Sandstar's speech. Please don't hate me for it...my computer died at that exact sentence and, after dashing to my bedroom to retrieve the charger, I forgot to fix the sentence. Sorry about that.**

**I hope you enjoy this chapter! I've been waiting for something like this to happen to Streampaw...**

* * *

"Sandstar!" Streampaw meowed. "Sandstar, can I say something?"

Immediately, a dead silence fell over all the cats gathered there. The apprentice felt all their eyes on him. Rainfur looked at him in surprise. Sandstar appeared irritated at being interrupted.

"Yes, what is it?" Sandstar rolled his golden eyes, annoyed.

"I...There's someone who could help with the fighting. She's really strong and powerful and stuff. She's my friend, I've known her for a long time. She'd help us, I know she would." Streampaw blurted out.

There was a subdued muttering from the clan cats.

"What clan does your friend hail from?" Sandstar questioned sharply.

_Uh oh. Well, time to tell them the truth..._

"She...doesn't belong to any clan. She's a rogue." Streampaw answered, lowering his voice.

_Finally. Now they know. The secret's out._

"A rogue?!" Sandstar yowled. The clan cats gave growls of disapproval. Rainfur looked positively furious now.

"Please, don't be mad at me! I was only-" Streampaw began, but Sandstar cut him off with a snarl.

"You know that is against the law here." said the clan leader. "If you want to remain friends with your rogue, then go and join her."

"Exactly!"

"Kick him out!"

"Mousebrained clan traitor..."

Streampaw had a sinking feeling of despair as he listened to the voices of his fellow cats ring out against him. Well, it almost served him right. What was he supposed to expect? After all, he had been the one to make friends with her in the first place. However, Streampaw didn't understand why the cats refused the offer of help. These were hard times, and in the direst of situations, the warrior code could be bended, couldn't it? Sandstar did it all the time, that was for sure. Streampaw knew that for a fact.

The smooth voice of the clan leader slashed through the former apprentice's thoughts.

"Streampaw, you are hereby banished from this clan. You are no longer one of us. And now, cat, if you'll pardon the blunt and laconic directness of my words, _go away._"

How could they do this to him? It was unfair! He was only trying to help!

"Fine!" Streampaw found himself yelling. "I'm done with this clan! If you won't accept my help, then I'll just leave! See what I care!"

"Well, it's not like you have any choice, do you?" a gold-furred cat replied nastily.

Streampaw raced out of the camp as fast as he could run, crashing through bushes, leaving a long trail of broken grass stems in his wake. All he knew was that he had to get to Echo, to tell her what had happened. The speed of it all numbed his mind.

_No clan. No great dreams of becoming a warrior. No mentor to guide me, no leader to protect me. _

Now, the Rogue of the Rivers truly was his one and only friend. It was an exceedingly lonely thought.


	6. The Rogue and the Pariah

**Hey there! **

**When I was writing this chapter, my computer broke down, and I lost a lot of it. But still, I suppose it's decent enough to post.**

**I hope you enjoy it and thanks to all the people who reviewed the last chapters!**

**-E.S.**

* * *

**Echo**

* * *

Echo yawned and stretched her limbs, breathing in the cool night air. She perceived that it was almost moonhigh-the perfect time for catching fish. The rogue cat padded softly through the grass as she made her way towards the nearby river, sniffing occasionally. For some odd reason, something didn't seem right to her.

Her ears flicked backwards as they detected the faint sound of something crashing through bushes. Echo whipped around, ready for battle. Whoever or whatever was coming towards her was obviously not trying to hide their presence. From the way they were running, it appeared that they didn't care whether anything heard them.

Echo sniffed the air again and breathed in a great lungful of a scent of fear, sadness, and Streampaw.

_Was he hurt? I know there's something wrong with him. That must've been what I smelled earlier. _

"Streampaw! Streampaw!" Echo called. She could see his brown-and-black striped form moving closer to her.

"Echo!" Streampaw cried.

He put on an extra surge of speed as he bounded up to her, parting the long grass and upsetting several grasshoppers that were resting there. Exhausted, the cat collapsed at Echo's feet, gasping for breath. Echo could tell that he had been running for a while.

"Streampaw, what's wrong? Are you hurt?" Echo asked, concerned. She had never seen her friend like this before.

"No, I'm fine." Streampaw panted angrily. "It's my clan."

"Oh, no," Echo grimaced. "Let me guess, Thunder Clan attacked your clan again, and old pompous guts declared war on them." Both Echo and Streampaw shared a dislike for the rather stuck-up clan leader.

"Well, yes, but that's not why I'm here. After Sandstar told us that we were at war, I told the clan about you, and that you could help the clan during fights."

"And? What did they say?" Echo urged him.

"They kicked me out."

"They _what?!_" Echo gasped.

"You heard me. Guess I'll be living with you for a while." Streampaw said as he stood up, having regained his breath.

_They kicked him out. They kicked him out because of me. I shouldn't have even talked to him. What was I thinking? I knew that it wasn't right for a rogue to become friends with a clan kit, and I did it anyway. Now look where it got him. He'll hate me forever. _I'll_ hate me forever.  
_

_It serves me right._

"Streampaw...I'm sorry," Echo whispered, tears filling her eyes. Even though she was not a clan cat, she understood how important a clan cat's tribe was to them. Sorry! What a miserable excuse of a word. It could hardly describe what she was feeling, what she wanted to say.

"It's not your fault. If it's anyone's fault that I got kicked out, it's mine." Streampaw said firmly.

"It _is_ my fault! It _is_ my fault, and you know it! I wish...I wish you'd never seen me!" Echo yelled.

"I don't."

Echo blinked, taken aback. All this, and he still wanted to be friends?

"Why not? Any mousebrain with half a tail would be killing me right now! So why aren't you?" Echo snarled bitterly. "Go ahead and rip me up! It's my fault! I deserve it!"

"Why would I want to rip you up? We're still friends, right?" the cat questioned.

Echo took a deep breath and let it all out. "Of course we're still friends. I just...I just wasn't sure if you still wanted to be."

"Well, since I'm not in a clan anymore, I guess there isn't anything to stop me, is there?" Streampaw laughed.

Echo laughed as well, but the truth in her friend's words dealt a painful blow to her heart.

"Want to go fish? You'll be sorry tomorrow if you don't," she said.

"Sure," Streampaw replied.

Together, they strode down to the side of the river.

The Rogue and the Pariah.


	7. Intermission I

**Streampaw: Greetings, readers! The author wanted to write a note about how there probably won't be any updates this weekend due to loads of schoolwork, but she was feeling insufferably lazy.**

**Author: *is being lazy***

**Echo: Get up and write something! *slaps her***

**Author: *cringes* All right, all right, I'm writing! *frantically begins to type***

* * *

**The Next Day**

* * *

Streampaw awoke to the tickle of grass and the warmth of the sun on his face, which was a pleasant contrast to the cool breeze that ruffled his fur. He gave a gigantic yawn, flexed his claws, and smiled.

_I'll just sleep in a little longer, until Rainfur comes and gets me up..._

_Yeah, he'll come get me up, and then we'll train for a bit. He'll take me to the river so that we can hunt for fish. Then, we'll take what we catch back to camp and give the best pieces to Sandstar. It'll be sundown by then. I'll relax and listen to the storyteller as I eat my piece of prey. He'll talk about the battles he's been in, warriors he's known, and he'll retell the tales of our ancient ancestors. I'll drift off to sleep before he's finished, as usual. I'll dream about being a mighty warrior, defending my clan from evil..._

_Who am I kidding?_

Streampaw knew that this could no longer be. He realized that there was no point in lying to himself. He was a rogue now.

_Speaking of rogues..._

"Echo?" Streampaw called, opening his eyes. The brightness of the morning sun was startling compared to the dim apprentice den that he was used to.

He looked around for his friend, but she was nowhere in sight. Oh well. She'd turn up, eventually, as she always did. The cat took the time to enjoy the beautiful morning. He listened to the comforting rush of the river flowing and the whoosh of the wind as it bent the grass, making it ripple like waves. The river birds were singing and chirping as if they didn't have a care in the world, which they most likely didn't, Streampaw observed.

The cat looked at the river below him and suddenly noticed something black beneath the water that was skimming towards him at top speed. When it reached the bank, it broke the surface with a resounding splash. Water flew every which way, a considerable amount landing on Streampaw. He could now see that the black something was Echo.

Shaking his soaked fur, Streampaw blinked water out of his eyes. "Echo, where were you?"

"I was at your clan's camp, just to check out what's been going on. All I had to do was follow the scent trail you left last night. Anyway, it seems that the clan's having trouble finding prey. When the hunters told Sandstar, he was so angry. He thinks that Thunder Clan is fishing the river that belongs to him."

"Ugh," Streampaw grimaced. "Leave it to Sandstar to think up something like that."

"I know," Echo agreed, climbing up onto the bank. "Thunder Clan doesn't even know how to fish."

"But if prey is so scarce, then why were we able to find those four minnows last night? It didn't look like there were too few of them." Streampaw mused.

"Well, for one thing, River Clan doesn't hunt at moonhigh, like we do. That's when the best fish are out. They also don't know the right places to fish-hunt. What's happening is that they're going to the same areas every day, which means that place is getting really overfished. I, on the other hand, never go to the same place more than twice in seven nights, and I'm normally successful when I hunt." said Echo.

"That's true," Streampaw sighed. "Sandstar must be looking for any reason to fight Thunder Clan."

"He probably is. Why some cats are like that is beyond me. It's also beyond me why the cats like that somehow end up being clan leaders."

"Because they're strong, and they'll kill you if you don't do exactly what they say." answered Streampaw. "Either that, or they'll kick you out."

Echo looked away. It was obvious that the subject of his being banished was still a sore spot with her. Streampaw wisely decided to change the subject.

"So, uh, what do you want to do today? Hunt?" he suggested.

"Actually, I just got an idea." Echo said. "How about we hunt in our special spots, sneak into your clan camp, and drop off the prey? That way, they'll get the food they need to keep up their strength so they can fight better."

Streampaw thought for a minute. "Yes, I guess that would work. But why should we? It surprises me that you care so much about my clan."

"I only care about it because you're in it...I mean, you _were_ in it. Now, are we going to get moving or not?"

Streampaw nodded. "All right, then. But what if we get caught?"

"Relax, Streampaw. We're not going to get caught. And if we do, it can't be that bad. After all, we are only trying to help them." Echo replied.

_Oh, really? The last time I tried to help them, I got kicked out of the clan. But I suppose there's not much more they can do to me, is there?  
_

"You're right. Meet you at the boulder." said Streampaw, as he walked southwards down the river's path. The boulder had been the official meeting place of the two friends for a long time.

"I'll be there at sunhigh." Echo smiled, and walked off northwards.

Streampaw gave a nod of acknowledgement and set off. As he looked at the river, searching for the telltale flash of a fish's scales, he caught a brief glimse of a sleek-furred black cat on the opposite bank before it disappeared into the grass again.

Unperturbed, he continued on his way.

It took him several minutes to realize that the cat he had seen was not Echo.

* * *

**Author: *finishes typing***

**Streampaw: I guess it's good enough. *sighs***

**Echo: ...*thinks about how lazy the author is being*  
**

**Author: Hey! I'm not being lazy! I've got a lot of work to do! *pulls out a gigantic book of physical science***

**Streampaw: That stuff looks pretty hard.**

**Echo: It all looks like a bunch of foxdung to me. *squints at a page which appears to be entirely dedicated to mechanical potential energy***

**Streampaw: Echo! *gasps at her language***

**Echo: What?**

**Author: *laughs and waves to the people who are soon to read this chapter* Bye everyone!**

_**She is about to look up the different forms of energy to help her understand the science better when the computer dies. The author didn't realize that she had only enough charge left to finish the chapter. She is very grateful that her computer didn't die before she finished, because it has a terrible problem with not charging properly (and also, writing chapters sucks charge!).**_


	8. Living a Lie

**Rainfur**

* * *

The hulking black cat slipped back into the grass. Curse that apprentice's hide! He had almost recognized his former mentor. The situation could have really gotten sticky then...

Rainfur sniffed the air, which was heavy with the scent of Thunder Clan. It took a few seconds for him to realize that the thick, foresty scent was coming from himself.

The cat heaved a great sigh. What had he gotten himself into, joining Thunder Clan all those moons ago? He hastily shook the thought from his mind. He had a job to do.

_I was smart,_ Rainfur smiled as he continued walking. _River Clan's headed for doom. I saw that ever since that thrice-cursed pawlicker became the leader. I was clever. Oh, I was so clever. I picked the winning side._

Rainfur laid down in the grass and rolled around in it several times. He smelled the Thunder Clan scent rub off of him and dissipate into the breeze. The scent was replaced by the distinctive tang of fish and lakewater.

River Clan. What a fool he'd been to join it in the first place. Luckily for him, the mistake he had made was correctable. Blackstar, the Thunder Clan chieftain, had promised him much power and the coveted rank of deputy if he joined. The offer was too good to resist. After all, if one had no power, how else was an honest, hard-working cat supposed to gain any respect in the world these days?

Unfortunately, in Rainfur's case, being both an honest, hard-working cat and wielding power was out of the question. He had had to choose between the two options.

_I've come so far. I've lied, cheated, killed, to get to where I am today._

_The question is, was it worth it?_

Rainfur certainly believed it was.

He poked his head out of the grass, scanning the river and the surrounding areas for any sign of cats. There were none.

The black cat padded down to the riverside and sat down. He shoved his forepaws in the rushing water, watching the blood swirl off of them and disappear. When his paws were clean, he submerged his muzzle in the water as well. There had to be no traces of anything on him when he reached River Clan's camp.

Rainfur was almost sorry for what he had done, but then he thought about all those mousebrained cats similar to the one whose throat he had just bitten out, all following that stupid Sandstar, not realizing that they were sending the clan they thought they loved to utter destruction. Unlike them, he had loved River Clan. He had loved it with his very soul, and had been forced to abandon it.

River Clan had used to be like one of those two-leg boats, sailing strong and proud, defeating their enemies with honor. Those were the good days, when Robinstar had been the leader. Well, he was dead now. Sandstar had killed him. Rainfur had witnessed the killing with his own eyes. Sandstar had made him promise not to tell a living cat what he had done that night, threatening that Rainfur would forfeit his life should he do so. Rainfur, who had been just an apprentice then, had been scared half to death, and had promised not to tell anyone.

Ever since then, he had slowly drifted apart from the clan as Sandstar made the situation worse and worse by the day. Eventually, Rainfur had almost become frightfully sick, unable to withstand the grief that his clan was unknowingly bringing him. The once-mighty twoleg boat that River Clan used to be had sprung a leak, a leak which was growing hopelessly large.

Then, he had been offered a second chance. Even though the Thunder Clan chieftain had known that Rainfur belonged to a different clan, Blackstar had trusted him. Blackstar had smiled on him. Blackstar had _believed_ in him.

No, Rainfur regretted nothing. If he had to kill more of his former clan cats, then so be it. It was their own fault for following such an air-headed, foxdung-scented excuse for a leader in the first place. Besides, Blackstar had made a vow before Star Clan that he would do all in his power to help River Clan. It just needed a little bit of...remodeling, before it could be helped.

Rainfur shook his fur and quickly trotted back in the direction of camp. River Clan's camp, that is. He needed more information to give to Blackstar.

There was a flash of grey to his right, immediately followed by something that collided into his side with the force of a falling tree. Rainfur was completely bowled over. He felt the breath fly out of his lungs with a _whoosh_ as he landed flat on his back, sending a jarring pain throughout his entire body and half-stunning him.

Sharp claws dug into his chest as his attacker stood over him. Rainfur was shocked to see who it was.

"Grey...c-claw?" he choked out feebly as he tried to get air into his lungs. He struggled to get up, but Greyclaw only held him tighter.

The grey-furred warrior bared his fangs. "What are you doing here? You shouldn't go so close to the border, Rainfur, especially in a time of war. Nobody has gone as near as you just were since Herringpaw and Riverpelt were attacked. So what are you up to, huh?"

Rainfur succeeded in getting enough air to speak. "I was fishing, mousebrain."

"Fishing? Just fishing? Oh, come on. You must've been doing more than that. This isn't one of the fishing spots, anyway." Greyclaw said suspiciously.

"Well, there's nothing in the regular spots, is there? What am I supposed to do, starve? I only caught one measly little fish today, and it went to feed Sandstar's overblown belly!" Rainfur spat at the deputy.

"Sandstar is the clan leader, Rainfur, and you should not speak about him in that manner," Greyclaw said reprovingly.

"Yeah? And why were you so close to the border, may I ask?"

"Sandstar was having me check on how Streampaw was doing. Just making sure he's still alive and all that." was the reply.

"Why would you care?" Rainfur demanded.

"Because Sandstar wanted me to. I'm not particularly fond of that forty-faced clan traitor myself, but business is business, I suppose." Greyclaw sighed.

_Forty-faced clan traitor? You're more of a clan traitor than he is, running around with Sandstar and obeying his every word, hardly even thinking about the consequences of what he commands you to do. _

"Well, I didn't find any fish, so I might as well come back to camp." Rainfur pushed the deputy's paw off of his chest and quickly stood up.

Greyclaw nodded. "Yeah, you'd better. They've been looking for you all over. Apparently, some cat named Bluefeather's gone missing."

"That's too bad," Rainfur lied easily. He knew exactly who Greyclaw was talking about and exactly what the cause of her disappearance was.

_Oh, Star Clan, I wish you could see me now. Thunder Clan promised me that they'd help my clan become strong again. This is the only way to do it. _

_I'm doing this for the good of them all._

_For River Clan._


	9. Revealed

**Streampaw**

* * *

Streampaw slunk through the grass as he headed towards his former clan's camp, biting down harder to keep the three large and extremely slippery fish from falling out of his jaws' grip. It had been a very successful hunt that morning. He wondered how Echo was doing_._

He also wondered who it was that he had seen on the other side of the river. Even though he had only snatched a brief glimpse of the black cat, he was certain that he had seen them somewhere...but he couldn't remember where. Streampaw was also sure that it was not Echo. She had been going in the opposite direction and was on the same side of the river that he was on. It just didn't make sense.

The smell of camp was getting fresher. Streampaw smiled through his mouthful of fish. Even though rejoining the clan was a dream never to be achieved, he still loved his clan, even after everything they had done to him. If only he hadn't spoken up that night...

No. He could never be in a clan ever again. He was a rogue. He was free. Streampaw! How ridiculous the name sounded now. As soon as he dropped off the fish, he would ask Echo to give him a new name, a proper rogue's name.

"Who goes there?"

The harsh command brought Streampaw back into reality. He spotted a tawny-furred male warrior just a few feet away from him. Crouching down in the grass, Streampaw recognized the cat's scent as Falconfeather, one of the Dawn Patrollers. This was going to be difficult. Falconfeather was a full-fledged warrior.

The tawny cat's blue eyes narrowed as he peered around, searching for the rustle he had heard Streampaw make. For a couple seconds, it looked as though Falconfeather would discover the former apprentice.

"Ah, come off it, Falconfeather, there's nothing there. Scared of your own shadow, are you?" another voice rang out.

To Streampaw's astonishment, the cat who had spoken was Greyclaw, Sandstar's deputy. Beside him stood Rainfur.

Rainfur!

Streampaw almost yowled in surprise. It was Rainfur he had seen! What had his mentor been doing over there?

"I heard a noise, Greyclaw, and thought I would investigate. Just doing my duty." Falconfeather scowled, a sharp contrast to that sweet, condescending smile that Greyclaw would wear whenever he was feeling exceptionally superior.

"I don't smell anything. Get back to the center of camp, Sandstar's calling a meeting about that missing cat."

"Yeah, come on, Falconfeather, there's half a fish waiting for you. That is, unless Sandstar ate it..." Streampaw heard Rainfur mutter.

Falconfeather brightened up at the prospect of food. "I'm coming, I'm coming."

The three of them walked away, swishing through the tall rushes that encircled River Clan's camp.

Streampaw breathed a sigh of relief, almost dropping two of the fish. He adjusted his bite on them and began to follow Greyclaw, Rainfur and Falconfeather, though at a respectable distance. He didn't know why, but for some reason he did not want to get caught doing this.

* * *

Streampaw, after sneaking his fish into the prey pile, was about to turn back towards the stream when he heard the typical conceited tones of Sandstar giving a speech. Streampaw's curiosity got the better of him. He glanced up at the clear cerulean sky. It was almost sunhigh. Streampaw decided that he had enough time to listen to a tiny bit of Sandstar's speech and still be at the boulder in time to meet up with Echo.

The cat softly crept towards the center of camp, where he noticed the throng of cats gathered around their leader. He got as close as he dared to the group, half-hidden by an ancient stump.

"Greetings, my cats," Sandstar said officiously. "As we all know, Bluefeather has been reported missing this morning. She went out on hunting patrol and did not return with her group on the homewards journey. All cats on Dawn Patrol and all trackers, please step-"

"Aaaaaaaggghh!"

An anguished scream brought the speech to a swift end. A young apprentice leaped into camp, sobbing for breath. Streampaw watched her intently. There appeared to be blood all over her once-white fur.

There was a rumbling noise as the entire clan moved towards her, asking what had happened as they formed a clumped circle around her.

"Stop!" Sandstar shouted, clawing cats aside left and right. "Give her air!"

He finally reached the center of the circle, where the apprentice lay in a small, pitiful heap.

"Frostpaw, what happened?" Sandstar questioned gently.

Tears streamed down the apprentice's face as she choked out her story. "I-it's Bluefeather...I-I-I...f-found her. Sh-she's dead."

Gasps of shock and growls of anger arose from the members of River Clan. Sandstar silenced them with a sharp glare. "Where did you find her?"

"O-over by the...r-river, Sandstar. I was t-trying to get back to camp and I f-fell on her body..." the cat softly meowed, her shoulders shaking.

"Was there any scent by it? Was it Thunder Clan?" Sandstar asked.

"Y-yes," Frostpaw replied. "I-I think it was...b-but by her b-body I smelled...n-not just a Th-th-thunder Clan c-cat. There was a R-river Clan cat there,"

"Who did it smell like? Tell me, Frostpaw!" the clan leader demanded.

"W-well..." she said, "I'm n-not meaning to p-point any fingers, or anyth-thing, b-but...it s-smelled a whole awful l-lot like Rainfur."

_No._

Streampaw sat in silence as the waves of shock, fear, rage, and disbelief rushed over him like the pounding rapids of the river.

_Not Rainfur. Never Rainfur. He wouldn't have. He couldn't have!_

Greyclaw shot Sandstar a meaningful glance. Sandstar gave Rainfur a curt nod. "I'll see you tonight at sundown, Rainfur."

"Where do you want us to put him, Sandstar?" inquired a short-furred brown cat.

"Put him in the warriors den. Have two cats guard him and see to it that he does not escape." Sandstar commanded.

Rainfur's expression was oddly stoic as two capable-looking cats led him away.

Streampaw didn't watch anymore. He turned around and bolted, unable to process what he had just witnessed.

_They can't blame him. He would never do something like that. They must have framed him, or something._

_This is impossible._

_Why does my clan have to go through so much suffering? Why?_

_Oh, Star Clan, please. I just want to know why._

* * *

**Sorry about the short chapter. I just needed to write this. **

**I am going to update at least one more time this week, hopefully. **

***Echo Scourge falls asleep at her computer***

**...good...nigh...t...**


	10. The Message

**Hello!**

**It's Echo Scourge, as usual. **

**I just wanted to let you guys know that I am so thankful to all of you for sticking with this story. It really means a lot to me.**

**I won't have very much time to update because I am very busy with end-of-the-year dance and stuff. I will, however, be writing whenever I get the chance, so I will post more chapters as soon as I can.**

**Here's another chapter for you. I wrote it at about three in the morning when I couldn't sleep, so it probably won't be up to the usual standards, but I wanted to post it anyway.**

* * *

**Streampaw**

* * *

The former apprentice sat by the side of the boulder, apprehensively sharpening his claws on the smooth, towering rock. It was almost two hours after sunhigh; Echo should have been there a long time ago.

Streampaw couldn't help but wonder about Rainfur. He could not, _would_ not accept that his old mentor was a clan traitor.

_I don't believe it. Rainfur? He was always one to follow the rules...It just doesn't make sense._

The cat noticed a small grasshopper crawling across the rock. For lack of anything better to do, he picked it up in his mouth and crunched it down, spitting out the poky legs with their sharp ends.

_Oh, Star Clan, if only you would come to me. I need you so badly right now. I'm lost, confused...I don't know what's right and what's wrong anymore. Please, Star Clan, guide me. Guide me..._

* * *

_He was lying on the ground in the middle of a clearing, covered in bright red blood. Pain surged through his left flank with every heartbeat. Each breath was a labored wheeze. He felt blood rise in his throat and coughed it out..._

_He was sitting on the banks of a red river. Echo was beside him. Rainfur, Sandstar, and a large cat with brown and black patched fur, whom Streampaw did not recognize, sat on the other side._

_The river they were sitting by rushed between them like a torrent of blood, pooling around the feet of the cats on the side opposite to Echo and Streampaw._

_"Beware, apprentice," a voice dashed through his mind, thunderously loud even though it was but a whisper. "All is not what it seems. There shall be more lies to be told, more lives to be laid down, before this game is over. Treachery lurks at every corner. Do not trust your eyes."_

_Streampaw watched in amazement as cats started rising from the blood-red river, a silver haze radiating from their eyes. All of them bore fearsome, gaping wounds. He recognized a few of them: Herringpaw, Riverpelt, Leafshade. Others rose up as well, their misty forms wavering as they chanted, "Do not pity the dead, Streampaw. Pity all those others who will die in your leader's stead. Remember, when you are lost, look to the forest, and you will find the answer."  
_

_The huge cat with brown and black fur raised a paw to strike at Rainfur..._

* * *

"Streampaw! What's the matter? Streampaw! _Streampaw!"_

Streampaw opened his eyes and looked into Echo's agitated face. He found that he was lying on his back on the ground, his nose smarting where it had struck the side of the boulder. He let out a shaky sigh of relief.

"Echo, there you are. Star Clan just gave me a message." he said.

"Well, whatever they said, it probably wasn't very good," Echo snorted. "You've been screaming like a trapped rabbit."

"I have?" Streampaw asked, bemused.

"Yes, you have." Echo replied. "Well, what did Star Clan tell you?"

Streampaw struggled to remember what he had seen. "Sandstar and Rainfur and another cat were on one side of the river. We were on the other side. Cats started coming out of the river-dead cats. Herringpaw was there, and her mentor, too. They said not to pity them...and to look to the forest if I was lost."

"That's it?" Echo meowed, slightly disappointed.

"I can't remember any more." Streampaw sighed. A thought occurred to him. "Where were you? I was here at sunhigh, but I didn't see you anywhere."

"Oh. That." Echo looked downwards. "Well, sorry to say it, but it looks like your mentor's in for it tonight. They're planning to kill him soon."

Streampaw's jaw dropped. It was all a mistake. It wasn't true. It wasn't!

"I won't let them!" he growled.

_How could they do it? How could they? Oh, Rainfur, tell them it's not true..._

"Sorry, Streampaw, but there's nothing we can do. Just try not to think about it." Echo grimaced.

Streampaw shook with helpless rage and grief. "I don't want anything to do with that clan anymore. Nothing! Do you hear me? _Nothing!"_

"Streampaw-" Echo began, but her friend cut her off.

"No!" he screamed. "I'm not Streampaw anymore! Never again! Don't you _ever_ let me hear you call me that again!"

His mind suddenly flashed back to Greyclaw's words.

_Scared of your own shadow..._

"You can call me Shadow." he muttered. He set off running along the river at a brusque pace.

"Str-I mean, Shadow, where are you going?" Echo called to him.

"Leave me alone!" the cat snarled angrily at her, briefly looking back at her before he began running again.

As he turned his face towards her, Echo noticed that he was crying.


	11. Rainfur's Thoughts

**Hey guys! Sorry, this chapter is tiny compared to the others, but I am really not getting much time to write lately. I am super busy with schoolwork. Since I'm homeschooled, I have really hard work to do, and it would be irresponsible of me to write when I should be studying. There will be more updates next week, I hope. Special thanks to aquagirl64 and Moonlit Demise for reviewing the last chapter!**

**Apologizing for the microscopic chapter length,**

**Echo Scourge**

* * *

**Rainfur**

* * *

The black-furred cat paced back and forth around the dingy warrior's den, his mind working furiously as he tried to figure out a way to get out of the situation. He had been pacing for so long that his paws had gouged a path in the hard-packed dirt floor where he had been walking.

Why_ didn't I cover up that thrice-cursed scent better? Stupid, stupid, stupid..._

Rainfur lashed out at a pile of decorative feathers with his forepaws, feeling the thin, wispy membranes tear beneath his claws. Wrath rose from somewhere deep inside of him as he ripped the feathers apart with both tooth and claw, snapping the brittle quills and tearing out large bits of the soft down. He suddenly recalled something that Fernstripe, the medicine cat, had said.

_Anger is only extreme sadness..._

Sadness for what? He answered that question even as he was mentally asking it. Sadness for River Clan's downfall, sadness for Robinstar's death, sadness for the memories of the old days-memories which had long since vanished and floated away like puffs of smoke.

Rainfur suddenly wondered, for the first time, if he had done the right thing, joining Thunder Clan.

_What if I'm one of the traitors I thought I was fighting? What if I've become the very evil I sought to destroy?_

No. For his own sanity, he cast the thought out of his mind. But what if it was true?

_Without my beliefs, I am nothing. I would fall apart. Am I right? Am I wrong?_

He did not know anymore.

_I was so sure of myself..._

The cat flopped down onto the ground with a _thump_, sending tufts of feathers flying every which way. Stupid useless things. Once, in a far off time, he had viewed them as pretty, but now they were just annoying trinkets that got in his way. He sighed heavily through his nose, making more of the ruined feathers flutter upwards. Rainfur restlessly scratched at a tickle in his ear, wondering what would become of him.

He hoped that he would soon find out. He was tired of waiting.


	12. The Runaway Traitor

**Sorry for the long wait! Here is the next chapter! It's one of the longest I've done so far, to make up for the huge wait.  
**

* * *

**Rainfur**

* * *

Rainfur was awakened by the sound of a cat approaching the entryway to the warrior's den. His ears swiveled forwards, pupils dilating as they adjusted to the dim light. It was much darker than normal; Rainfur concluded that it must be close to sundown by now.

He raised his head up sharply as Sandstar padded into the den, wearing a slight smirk.

"So," said the clan leader, sitting down and curling his tail around his legs.

"So." Rainfur muttered darkly, baring his fangs. He could tell that whatever Sandstar had planned for him, it wasn't going to be good.

"Greyclaw and I have investigated the area where Frostpaw found the cat. We both identified the scent as yours."

Sandstar gave a long pause for effect.

"Do you deny the evidence against you?" he said at last.

"I do not." Rainfur replied curtly.  
_If this is it, I won't deny the truth like a mewling kittypet. Knowing him, he'll probably kill me anyway._

Sandstar sighed. "It's a bad business, Rainfur, a very bad business. You know, I really _do_ regret what I have to do tonight."

Rainfur bit his lip. There was no doubt about it now. He was going to die.

_This is wrong._

_This is wrong!_

The black cat tried to find something to say, but couldn't think of anything.

"I'll try to be as kind as possible. And I'm not going to do it publicly, either. Don't want the kits getting upset." Sandstar licked his forepaw.

"Well, why not? If you're going to kill me, why not kill me where everyone can see? Coward," Rainfur found himself snarling. "_Coward!_"

Sandstar blinked and cleared his throat. "Rainfur, you mustn't blame me for this. You brought it on yourself."

"I _what?!_" Rainfur shrieked. This was too much to bear. "You were the one that drove me to it! You and your stupid dreams of power! You killed Robinstar, and you killed this clan! And you call me a traitor! I was only doing what was right!"

"That's neither here nor there," Sandstar said casually, not at all taken aback by Rainfur's outburst. "You see, my foolish friend, what is right and what is wrong is only a matter of perspective."

"And yet you claim that killing your own clanbeasts is the right thing to do?" Rainfur shot back.

"You have done the same. You do not even deny it. Therefore, your blood is on your own head."

_I can't believe what I'm hearing._

"I find this job distasteful," Sandstar grimaced, adopting a tone of apology. "I really am sorry. And I mean that sincerely."

Rainfur tensed up as the clan leader raised his right forepaw and extended the claws...

_So it really is true._

_I am going to die._

_Oh, Star Clan, help me. Help me be strong. I don't want to beg and plead for mercy. I won't give him that satisfaction._

_Please, help me. _

_Help me!_

Rainfur shut his eyes, waiting for the fatal blow.

It never came.

It was then that he became aware of what he was doing. Yowling like a mad wildcat, he was clawing furiously at Sandstar's face. The clan leader was flat on his back, trying to protect his face and neck as best he could. Rainfur stopped for one brief second, appalled at what he was doing. Then he turned around and bolted out of the den.

Looking back, he saw that Sandstar had immediately jumped up and was following him at a high speed, screeching,

"Don't let him get away! Catch him! Kill him! Anything, but get him!"

Sandstar circled to his left, trying to cut him off from leaving the clan camp. Rainfur broke into a flying leap and sailed straight over the leader's head. He noticed other cats running at him, also attempting to catch him, but the black cat was going too fast and had too much of a head start.

_I must get away. I have to go to Thunder Clan. They're my only hope now. _

_What in the name of eternal Star Clan just happened?_

_I just attacked a clan chief and I'm running away from my home clan._

Whatever Star Clan's reasons were for choosing Rainfur to occupy this place in fate, he fervently hoped it was worth it.

* * *

Panting slightly, he paused at the riverside. The muscles in his legs shook uncontrollably as he eased his relentless pace to a slow walk. He checked behind his shoulder to make certain that the tracker cats had lost his trail. There appeared to be no one following him. Exhaling in relief, Rainfur stooped down low to lap up some water. He sighed contentedly, feeling the cool liquid soothe his parched throat. The steady beat of his tongue moving through the water as he quenched his burning thirst seemed unnaturally loud. By the hue of the sky, it was probably well past sundown now.

_What was that?__  
_

There was a loud _crack_ from somewhere nearby. He paused in his drinking and stood stock-still, every nerve tingling with anxiety. Hardly daring to breathe, he listened for several more moments, but all that could be heard was the chirping of the grasshoppers and the occasional mournful cry of the night heron.

_I guess it could've been some bird. Or maybe it's that good-for-nothing Streampaw..._

Suspiciously, he bent down to drink some more water, and noticed something that made his fur stand on end.

There was another reflection of a cat next to the one belonging to him.

Rainfur heard the _whoosh_ of air as the cat flew through the air, aiming straight for him. He nimbly dodged, watching the cat land upright, legs bent to absorb the shock of the impact. As the cat turned around, Rainfur was startled to recognize him as Falconfeather, one of the Dawn Patrollers.

"Falconfeather?" he cried, astounded.

"Hello, traitor."

Falconfeather's golden eyes caught the moonlight, shining like lamps as he prepared for another leap.

This time, Rainfur was not so lucky.

He had anticipated the attack and had moved to his left, but Falconfeather corrected his dive at the last moment. The tawny-furred cat clamped his jaws over Rainfur's back left paw, tearing savagely at it while clinging onto Rainfur's back with all four paws.

Rainfur could feel the pelt and tendons ripping. Warm blood ran down his leg, drenching Falconfeather's muzzle.

He gasped as his adversary bit down harder, almost breaking the bone.

"Get off me!" Rainfur yelped, scrabbling frantically at Falconfeather with his claws. He twisted sharply and brought his whole weight down on the opposing cat. Falconfeather released his claws, but still kept his jaws doggedly shut around Rainfur's paw, which screamed in protest as he tried to free it from those steely jaws.

Rainfur's claws somehow managed to find his enemy's throat, and he dug them deeper as Falconfeather bit even harder than before. He could feel the blood running down his claws, just as it was doing on his leg, except that this time, he was the one causing it to flow.

With a surge of pure brute force, Rainfur tore Falconfeather from his leg with a vicious jerk. He felt the cat's neck snap before he removed his claws.

Rainfur took a deep, ragged breath as he turned away from his dead opponent, then winced as fresh pain began in his leg. He hardly dared to look at it, but then decided that he'd better just take a quick peek in case he needed to get some medical care when he made it back to Thunder Clan.

What he saw took his breath away.

The whole lower part of his leg was completely ruined. The pelt had been completely torn off, exposing the pink flesh and bright red veins beneath. Tendons and muscles dangled out, severed by Falconfeather's cruel fangs. White bone showed through in several places.

The black cat felt bile rise in his throat. He was almost sick as he looked away from the gruesome wound. This was far beyond anything that River Clan's medicine cat had the skill to deal with. Rainfur wasn't even sure that Thunder Clan's medicine cat could treat an injury at this level of damage.

He limped painfully in the direction of the forest, cursing as he stumbled over Falconfeather's body.

"And good riddance to you," he murmured as he set off along his way.


	13. A Life Saved

**I wanted to update this right away! Things are starting to become interesting...**

**And just in case you're confused, Streampaw has now become Shadow due to Chapter Ten's events.  
**

* * *

**Streampaw/Shadow**

* * *

He sat by the banks of the river, gazing up at Silverpelt as he tried to work out the tangles of confusion in his mind.

_I am an outcast. Echo's a rogue. We're helping the clan I was cast out of._

_Rainfur's a traitor? No, that can't be right. _

_Rainfur!_

How could he have forgotten? It was after sundown; the time when River Clan ended his mentor's life was probably hours ago.

Shadow let out a heavy sigh. Why was all this happening to him?

He angrily kicked a pebble into the river, watching it sink to the bottom, and realized that he felt exactly like that pebble, sinking in overwhelming despair.

There were a few soft rustles to his left. Shadow turned swiftly to see who it was. Echo was striding up to him, grinning like a crazy badger.

"What are you so happy about?" Shadow said roughly, then thought better of it. "Sorry. I didn't mean to snarl at you. Why are you smiling?"

"I've been doing some spying around River Clan's camp, and I've got some news for you that might cheer you up." Echo replied, still grinning.

"What is it?" Shadow cocked his head, genuinely curious.

"You don't have to worry about Rainfur anymore. They didn't kill him. He got away."

Shadow could feel the elation, mixed with relief, bubble up inside of him.

"Oh! That's so..." he whispered, smiling for the first time that day. "That's so wonderful."

"Talk about a miracle from Star Clan," Echo shook her head in amazement. "I don't know how he did it, but at least he's safe now."

"I thought you didn't believe in Star Clan," Shadow laughed jokingly, surprised by the sound. _It's been so long since I had a good laugh..._

"The question is, where is he hiding?" Echo mused. The cool breeze ruffled her fur backwards, giving her a scruffier appearance than normal.

"Well, that is a good question." Shadow nodded. "I'm just as clueless as you on this one."

"Let's not think about it right now. I'm hungry, which means you're probably hungry, so we both need to get something to eat."

"Fine." Shadow agreed.

There was a sudden and terrible screeching noise that made both Shadow and Echo jump. Sounds of scuffling broke out somewhere along the west bank.

The awful sounds of cats fighting shattered through the calm night air, hissing and spitting and screaming.

Just as Shadow thought it would go on forever, it was over.

"What...the eternal Star clan...was _that?_" he gasped as soon as he could formulate his thoughts into words.

Echo was visibly shaken. "I don't know."

"Me either."


	14. The Truth?

**The author of the story apologizes for her lack of updates. She realizes that it has been about two weeks since she has written anything. She is down with a lymph node infection, which is why I am writing the author's note, not her. She knows she's late in updating, but she feels really sick right now. :P  
**

**She has also created a poll, available at her profile, for your favorite POV characters. She will write another chapter in the POV of the one who receives the most votes.**

**-Shadow/Streampaw**

* * *

**Rainfur**

* * *

The dull, throbbing pain in his mangled leg screamed in protest as he tripped on a pile of dead brush, scraping his wound on the rough twigs. Rainfur winced and bit his lip to keep from crying out. He stood, shaking, until the pain had subsided to a bearable level, and continued on his way. He needed to see that med cat. He needed to get to Thunder Clan.

He had been walking since the fight with Falconfeather. It was certainly morning by now, considering the green-tinged light that dappled the forest floor.

_I should be nearly there..._

And then he saw it, the slim opening in the bushes by which he had entered Thunder Clan's camp the last time. Rainfur would have smiled in relief had his flank not been hurting so much. The cat hobbled over to the opening on three legs, holding the injured one slightly off the ground.

Pushing the thick bushes aside, he shoved his way into the clearing. Rainfur was half-blinded by the dazzling sunlight that streamed down onto the clan's camp. He took note of the number of cats; surprisingly enough, there were not as many as there had been.

Shadebreath, a small, silver-furred cat with a long scar running from his ear to his mouth, padded up to Rainfur.

"What happened to _you_?" Shadebreath inquired, his eyes scanning Rainfur's fearsome wound.

"Leave me alone," growled Rainfur, baring his fangs. "Where is everybody?"

"They're going to attack River Clan." Shadebreath snorted. "Didn't you hear?"

"Didn't I hear? Sandstar almost killed me, mousebrain, and one of his lackeys nearly ripped my paw off! I haven't been here since yesterday morning."

"Calm down, blackie. Now tell me-why are you here today?"

Rainfur bristled at the insult to his fur. "I'm here to talk to Blackstar and to get some treatment for my leg, so get out of my way before I make you."

Shadebreath backed off, obviously aware of his smaller size. Rainfur smirked with satisfaction.

"He's behind the Highrock, talking with Blazepaw." the silver cat motioned with his head. "I'm warning you, though, he won't be happy about that leg."

Without a word, Rainfur brushed past him and strode off to the place Shadebreath had indicated. Sure enough, Blackstar was there, chatting casually with the newly-appointed apprentice about what to expect during training.

"Hello, Blackstar." Rainfur said.

The clan leader's head whipped around, turning to gaze at his deputy. "Ah, Rainfur. I'll be with you in a minute, Blazepaw. Go find your mentor and tell her that I'll talk to her later about that thing you were saying."

Blazepaw nodded and trotted off, his tail flicking.

The minute Blazepaw had left, Blackstar changed his tone. "What did you do to your leg?" snarled the hefty cat.

"I got into a fight with a River Clan cat." Rainfur explained. "It could've happened to anyone. Remember how you sent me after that mangy cat, Bluefeather? Some stupid apprentice called Frostpaw found my scent on the body. Sandstar almost killed me yesterday night, but I got away. Then that River Clan cat I told you about, Falconfeather, tore up my leg when he tracked me down. I got him good, though. He won't be coming back for more."

"Careless!" Blackstar spat. Rainfur blinked, taken aback. He had never seen the leader this wrathful before.

"I-" the black cat began, but Blackstar cut him off.

"You fool," Blackstar hissed venomously. "You _fool!_ Why did you let that happen?"

"It was an accident! I'm sorry!" Rainfur cringed.

_Why is he acting like this? It really was an accident. Does he think I meant to almost get killed twice?_

"Oh, you're _sorry!_" the clan leader growled menacingly. "That's nice, Rainfur. Sorry doesn't help anything. You think Sandstar's going to let this incident slip past him? No, he's going to attack our clan at every opportunity he's given. All because of your clumsiness!"

"I wasn't-"

"You were! You've been trying my patience lately, Rainfur, with all these close calls. I should have realized that it was about time you messed up. I gave you a chance, and you clawed it in half with your stupid mistakes. Useless, that's all you'll ever be. Useless!"

"I'm sorry! I really am! Look, d'you think it's my fault that Frostpaw found my scent? My fault that Sandstar wanted to kill me? My fault that Falconfeather almost dragged off my paw?" Rainfur argued, trying to keep his voice down.

"If you think it's not your fault for not washing off your scent properly, then you're a fool and a liar." Blackstar meowed derisively.

"I'm no fool, and I've been telling you the truth this whole time!"

"The truth?" Blackstar chuckled. Rainfur didn't like the tone he was taking. "Do you want to know the truth?"

The huge cat leaped at Rainfur, pinning him to the back of the Highrock. Blackstar closed his powerful forepaws around Rainfur's neck, grinning sadistically as he watched the cat struggle.

"You really think that Sandstar killed Robinstar of his own free will? You really are more of a fool than I thought you were."

Rainfur stopped struggling.

_What?_

"Well, he didn't. He killed Robinstar because _I_ told him to. He was my deputy, before you came along. But he wanted more. I let him lead River Clan, thinking that such a strong, cunning cat would lead River Clan to its destruction. Everything seemed to be going as planned. Robinstar was defeated, Sandstar took his place, making all the right excuses for that mousebrained leader's death. Unfortunately, he still wanted more power than I had already so generously bestowed upon him. He thought that he could lead both clans, seeking to annihilate this one by attacking its warriors. That's where you came along. Young, strong, desperate...you had all the right qualities. You were just what I needed to strike back at my enemy."

"You...used...me!" Rainfur choked out.

"Yes, now you're getting it. I used you. You were a useful tool, just as Sandstar was. I thank you for all you've done for me, Rainfur, but you're not what you once were. The ends justify the means, just as they always do. Fools like you don't make good pawns for long. They figure everything out eventually."

_He used me. He used me to destroy my own clan. Oh, Star Clan, what have I done? I deserve to die..._

"You were right," Rainfur gasped, trying to draw a breath. "I...I was a fool, and all...those other things you called me...for joining your...stupid piece of...foxdung...clan in the first...place!"

The black cat squinted up into Blackstar's leering face.

"Of course you were." the clan leader laughed softly. "But you did some good things for me, so I think I'll show you some mercy."

"What...do you mean?" Rainfur coughed, clawing at Blackstar's paws in a futile attempt to relieve the crushing pressure that was cutting off his air supply.

"I'll kill you quickly," Blackstar smiled.

There was a flash of claws in the morning sunlight, a heavy blow, and then...

Blackness.


	15. Intermission II

**This would have been posted earlier, except for the fact that I couldn't access my account for three days. :P  
The poll will be closed next Sunday, so if you want to vote, it's available at my profile.  
**

**Thanks to Moonlit Demise for reviewing!**

* * *

**Shadow**

* * *

Sunhigh came all too soon. He had been having a great time with Echo that morning, romping around in the grass and pushing each other into the river. He hadn't laughed or smiled like that in days.

It was as if a large weight had been lifted from his chest. Shadow closed his eyes, basking in the sunlight that warmed his very core, listening to the lazy buzz of the insects that droned on monotonously. Echo was away, checking on River Clan's camp. She would be back anytime now. At last, the young cat finally felt relaxed and content.

That was not to last long.

Shadow started as Echo came tearing through the grass next to him, chest heaving.

"What happened?" he meowed, surprised.

"Oh, Shadow, there's been a terrible battle! There were dead cats everywhere in camp, Sandstar was injured, there were claw marks all down his shoulder...it looks like Thunder Clan attacked them, or something!" Echo shouted.

_Oh, no. Not this..._

"Star Clan preserve me," Shadow muttered, his mind working furiously. "What do you think I should do?"

"Honestly, I don't think there's much we can do. It's too bad we're not medicine cats-from what I gathered, when Thunder Clan attacked, they killed River Clan's medicine cat."

"How is that possible? Medicine cats aren't supposed to go into battle unless they absolutely must!"

"Thunder Clan attacked the camp straight on, right from the direction of the med cat's den. That cat didn't stand a chance." Echo shook her head.

Shadow groaned. This situation was getting extremely complicated. Suddenly, a thought occurred to him.

_If you are lost, look to the forest..._

"The forest," he said. Echo stared at him in a puzzled manner.

"When Star Clan gave me that message, the cats told me I should look to the forest if I was lost, or didn't know what to do." Shadow explained.

Echo glanced in the direction of the forest. "I don't see any miraculous solutions popping out of those trees, Shadow," she sighed.

"Then let's go find them." the cat replied, standing up. "Oh, come on, Echo. It'll be an adventure!" he pleaded, noting the look on his friend's face.

"I don't know...that could be really dangerous."

"Since when have you cared about something like that?"

Echo laughed. "You sure know me, Shadow. I'll come."

Shadow smiled, and fervently hoped that his choice wouldn't get them both killed.


	16. Of Tasks and Mentors

**Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry for not updating. I really wanted to; I have a lot of ideas! But I was really, really sick (again). I'm over it now, though, so there will be updates. And, just so you know, when this story is over I will publish a prequel to it. :)**

* * *

**Rainfur**

* * *

_He was walking down a winding path, darker than the sky at midnight save for a few flashing lights that flickered every now and then. Rainfur was aware that he no longer felt any pain. It appeared that the path was coming to an end._

_Sure enough, the path ended, and at the end was a cat._

_At one glance, Rainfur could tell that this was his old mentor standing before him._

_"Greenflame!" cried the black cat._

_His mentor stood motionless, his face showing no emotions. Then he spoke._

_"Traitor."_

_Rainfur winced._

_"Traitor! You disgraced me, your clan, and everything it means to be a warrior! How dare you!" Greenflame hissed._

_"I know. I was so stupid, Greenflame. I made a mistake."_

_"Too right you did," replied the mentor. "A bad one."  
_

_"I...I just want to be forgiven." Rainfur sighed. "And I don't think that's possible, considering all I've done."  
_

_"There is a way." Greenflame responded. _

_"What is it?" Rainfur asked eagerly, walking forwards._

_"Go back..." whispered his mentor._

_"What?"_

_"Go back..." Greenflame placed a heavy paw on Rainfur's chest._

_"Hey! Get off-"_

_"Go back..." The paw pushed Rainfur hard, causing him to stagger backwards. _

_He was falling...falling...falling..._

* * *

Rainfur gasped for breath, eyes half open. The first thing he noticed was that the ground was extremely hard.

_I'm alive._

Next came the pain. Pain in his head, his sides, his paw, his throat, throbbing relentlessly through his body without end. He needed water. He needed water.

The black cat opened his left eye completely and saw that Blackstar was gone. There were only two cats that he could see, and they appeared to be paying him no notice.

_I have to get up. I can't just sit here._

_I need water._

Rainfur clamped a paw to his head, seeking to relieve the excruciatingly painful burning feeling. The paw came away bright red from blood.

_I need a plan to get past those cats. I have to warn River Clan. There's a chance it isn't too late..._

_I was the biggest fool ever to be called a warrior. But maybe, just maybe, I can redeem myself._

_Water._

_I know what I have to do. Sneak past the brown-furred one while he's looking at those birds. The other one's too far away to notice me._

He slowly dug his claws beneath him and stood up, blinking as the world spun around him. His injured paw buckled beneath his weight, awakening the fiery pain that shot all the way up his flank. Rainfur bit his tongue to keep from crying out and took a step. He began hobbling along his way, trying to focus on his goal; mentally, he was having a heated argument.

_Once I'm out of camp, I'll go back to River Clan._

_Sandstar'll kill you!_

_Maybe he will, but that doesn't matter anymore. Nothing matters. Just the safety of River Clan. I'd die soon enough anyway._

_I wonder what Thunder Clan thinks of all this..._

_Good question._

The brown-furred cat was still looking at those birds. Mousebrain. He wasn't paying any attention to Rainfur as the black cat limped past him. Rainfur was glad that even though he had a bad leg wound, he was still able to retain some of the stealth that his mentor had taught him.

_Almost out of camp. Almost...almost out..almost..._

The trees and the clearing started spinning as dizziness took control once more. Twice Rainfur thought he was not able to go onwards. He struggled to move, to keep going forward. He had to. He had to.

"Hey! What do you think you're-"

The black cat did not allow the sentry to continue. Summoning a spurt of energy, he bowled the cat over and started running at a breakneck pace on three legs, holding the other leg high off the ground.

Leaves and twigs scattered every which way in the wake of his charge. The wind that blew against him stung his wounds, but Rainfur could not stop. He kept running, intent on two things.

River Clan and the stream.

Water.


	17. Of Wounds and Vengeance

**I have been looking forward to writing this for a long time. :) Thanks to everybody who reviewed.**

* * *

**Sandstar**

* * *

"OW!"

"Hold him still, get that crushed alder on his shoulder..."

Sandstar writhed in agony as the medicine cat's apprentice dabbed at his wound with foul-smelling herbs. Two warriors were pinning him down in case he injured himself further by trying to get away; one of them was also helping the apprentice, Russetpaw, to apply the medicine.

"We're just going to clean the wound, Sandstar. We're almost finished-"

"Aaagh!" Sandstar yowled, back paws threshing in the grass, as Russetpaw began wiping his shoulder with a dock leaf. "Get off me!"

"Sorry, Leader, but this _must_ be done." the apprentice grimaced.

Sandstar laid there for what felt like hours as Russetpaw first cleaned, then bound the wound with cobwebs. While he laid there, gritting his teeth, his mind was working furiously to come up with a plan that would get him revenge on Thunder Clan.

_I'll take the scouts through the forest. We'll sneak up on them from behind. The mousebrains will be so caught up in their victory that they won't know we're there until we attack them. The warriors can circle around, back to their camp, and take down the apprentices and kits._

_Maybe I'll meet up with that little double-crosser, Rainfur. Then I'll show him what happens to traitors. _

_Blackstar's going to be a problem. Hmm. He's smarter than my warriors, that's for sure. But he made one mistake when he thought he could reduce my power. A terrible, terrible mistake indeed._

Sandstar inwardly chuckled to himself.

_He's not smarter than me!_

He was so caught up in his thought processes that he hardly noticed it when the warriors let him go and the pain subsided in his shoulder.

"We're done, Sandstar." the apprentice grinned, surveying his work. "It's the nicest shoulder I ever patched up."

Sandstar stood up, flexed the muscle in his shoulder, and winced.

"Be that as it may, I have work to do. Gather everyone into the center of camp. I have a plan."


	18. Introductions

**Wow. It must seem like I've either died or abandoned this. The truth is, I've been really sick and practically neck-deep in schoolwork. I found it hard to update these past few months, but I hope that there will be more chapters coming soon. Rest assured, this has not been abandoned. Not by a long shot. :)  
**

**And now, on with the chapter!**

* * *

**Echo**

* * *

"Shh, we have to be quiet," Shadow whispered as they walked through the dense underbrush, trying as best as they could not to make any noise. Both of them were finding it difficult, even though Echo was a master of stealth and Shadow was no fool when it came to sneaking around.

"Should we try climbing the trees? They're so close together, we could jump from one to another." Echo suggested quietly.

"No. I heard rumors that Thunder Clan cats use the trees, and we don't want our scent plastered all over the place." Shadow replied, checking behind him to make sure no one was following.

"Well, it can't hurt, can it? Our scent is probably already plastered across most of the forest by now. We've been walking since yesterday afternoon."

Echo looked at her friend's face, trying to glimpse any emotion, but saw none.

"We don't know much about these trees. Who knows, there might be cats up there."

Echo sighed and bit her lip. She didn't feel comfortable when there weren't readily obtained places to find cover. She stared at the ground, concentrating on putting one paw in front of the other. It was then that she noticed something that made her stop in her tracks.

"Shadow," she said, as softly as possible.

"What is it?" her friend muttered, turning his head.

"Look at the ground."

On the forest floor were numerous spots of blood, forming a trail that stretched on in front of them, a trail that was seemingly endless.

"We have to follow it." Shadow growled in a determined manner.

They kept on walking, but Echo's sleep-deprived thoughts kept wandering off the current task.

_I can't believe you even agreed to this._

_You're his friend! If he thinks that finding whatever it is we're supposed to find can save the clans, it's probably true._

_I thought you didn't believe all this Star Clan foxdung. _

_Well, he seems to. I'd do anything for him. He eased my loneliness, made me forget the pain of losing the only parent I ever knew._

Echo panted with exhaustion. Walking became almost impossible. Yet her mental argument raged on and on, ravaging her mind like an all-consuming flame.

Her thoughts were abruptly cut short as Shadow came to a halt so quickly that she bumped into his hindquarters.

"Three cats, in that small clearing up ahead." the tawny-furred cat whispered so close to her ear that she almost jumped.

"Thunder Clan?" Echo murmured nervously.

"Probably rogues. Thunder Clan doesn't smell like that."

"You're right. On three?" That was the old phrase she said when they would hunt together long ago. The simple words made Echo reminisce for half a second, thinking about the memorable times she had with Shadow in moons long past. She wondered if things would ever be like that again.

"You bet. One...two...three!"

The pair leaped into the small clearing, prepared for a fight. The black and white cat on the left jerked back, hissing; the other two, one a grey cat and one a beautiful dark brown cat, yowled dreadful curses and raised their paws to swipe at the intruders.

"Peace," the black and white cat rumbled, gazing at her two companions, who immediately lowered their paws. Echo perceived that the cat was missing her left eye, but the other was a deep shade of violet.

The cat turned towards Shadow. "Now, what do you want here? You smell of River Clan, young one, but your friend is a rogue, am I right?"

"Yes, that's Echo. And I'm Shadow." he answered.

"Shadow. A rogue name. How did you come to get that name? And what are you doing in Thunder Clan's territory, if you either are or used to be a River Clan cat, eh? Answer me that, Shadow."

"First, you have to tell me your name. And those other cats' names." Shadow demanded, his eyes flicking towards a large bloodstain on the ground.

_That must've been where the trail came from,_ Echo thought. _What happened here?_

The black and white cat chuckled. "You're in no position to be making bargains, cat. However, I shall do as you wish. I'm Violetscar, the grey-furred one is Flaybreeze, and that brownie there is Stormlash."

"Don't call me that," snarled the brown-furred cat.

"But why do you have clan names, if you're rogues? Answer me _that_, Violetscar." Shadow stated boldly.

"Ah, that's a long story. You tell me yours, I'll tell you mine."

Echo sat down on a pile of leaves as her friend related the tale to the three cats, and wondered drowsily whether they would make it out alive.

Unable to stop herself, she gave in to her fatigue. In a few minutes, she was breathing easily, enveloped in a relaxing, dreamless sleep.


	19. Blackstar's Weapon

**I wouldn't be surprised if no one reads this anymore. I haven't been updating at all due to my chronic illness. There's no guarantee that I will update another chapter this month, but I'll try.**

* * *

**Blackstar**

* * *

The Thunder Clan leader twitched his nose, striding up to his new deputy, Pineleaf, and a grizzled old warrior named Darkfang. The latter dubiously flicked his tail, casting wary eyes at the barricaded den he was standing next to.

"You're sure this will work, Blackstar?" he rasped, shifting nervously despite his great size and weight. "That thing's nothing to mess with."

"Trust me, it will." Blackstar stated firmly. He smiled craftily at Pineleaf, who flinched, knowing the danger in his leader's smile.

"What do you plan to do?" the deputy inquired timidly, not meeting his leader's eyes.

"I'll tell you what I plan to do," Blackstar chuckled. He was about to continue when he was interrupted by a loud growl from inside the den, which was followed by thunderous bangs on the branches that were stopping the creature that was inside from escaping.

It was a long time ago that Blackstar had found the beast. He could still recall how it had looked the day he had first seen it. A huge, full-grown badger, roaring and snarling, driven mad with the pain of some sharp metal things that had been lodged in its flank. The Clan leader had secretly ordered it to be caught and brought back to camp, seeing as it could be a powerful thing to unleash upon an enemy someday. Although he had had his doubts, Blackstar was congratulating himself for his foresight now that River Clan was causing so much trouble.

Darkfang, one of Blackstar's closest warriors, had offered to train the badger. He had spent many moons with it, disguising its scent with toadstools and other such things, taking prey to its secret den near the Sunningrocks. Only he and Blackstar could find the place. Eventually, the badger grew used to Thunder Clan's scent, but was fiercely hostile to any other cat. Blackstar supposed that some of its madness had never completely gone away, even after the medicine cat had removed the metal from its flank. The Clan leader had sworn all the cats involved to secrecy, and none dared to go against his will.

Yes, he was very lucky to have the badger on this day.

Blackstar waited until the furious pounding had subsided, then continued.

"I plan to unleash the badger on River Clan."

He watched Pineleaf's eyes widen in fear and awe. "You'd do that? I know they've caused trouble...but setting a badger on them might be going a little too-"

"Silence!" Blackstar hissed. "I'm the leader, I make the decisions! It's not your job to argue with me, Pineleaf. River Clan is planning an attack on us, I'm sure of it. They won't let the deaths of their Clan mates go unnoticed, and they want revenge. If you don't like my idea, step up and fight me if you think you're warrior enough to beat me." Blackstar's eyes narrowed dangerously, ready for a challenge, but it never came. Pineleaf merely crouched down submissively like the coward he was, not meeting the leader's gaze as he gave his reply.

"It's not my place to challenge you, Blackstar. I'm just a little worried. There's a lot of things that can go wrong here."

"You can say that again," Darkfang spat. "That thing was mad from the start, I'm telling you."

"Good. River Clan is going to learn who the _true_ masters of the forest are!" Blackstar purred grimly. "Now, go make crowfood out of them."

The two warriors bowed, then began removing the branches, pulling back hastily as the creature lumbered out, squinting in the waning sunlight. Blackstar had ordered it not to be fed for almost a moon, making it all the more savage.

Darkfang caught hold of the vine that was tied around the badger's neck, and yanked on it, holding it fast in his jaws. Pineleaf walked cautiously by the older warrior's side, not wanting to get close to the fearsome beast.

Blackstar watched them both go, and began purring again, basking in the sunset.

_River Clan won't stand a chance. Not even Sandstar could deal with that thing. Blackstar, you're a cunning old cat, and no mistake. _

_Let the fools come!_


	20. Violetscar's Tale

**My mom said I couldn't use the computer at all due to the EMF frequencies that supposedly could be keeping me from getting rid of my disease, which I highly doubt. I had to at least post this chapter, though. It will probably be the last chapter for a while, though.  
**

* * *

**Shadow**

* * *

Violetscar ground her teeth when Shadow finished with his story.

"Sandstar, that little mousebrain..." she growled, flexing her claws. "When I catch up with him, there will be blood to pay for what he has done."

Shadow looked at her quizzically. _Does she know him? She doesn't smell like River Clan. What's going on here?_

"Since you've told me your story, I suppose it's only right for me to stick to my end of the bargain." Violetscar meowed, her eyes distant. "I'll try to relate my story in the fastest way possible, but since it is very long, you might as well make yourself comfortable.

"We three rogues, like you, used to be warriors of River Clan. Our whole ordeal started when Flaybreeze, Stormlash and I discovered a wounded Thunder Clan apprentice by Sunningrocks, unable to move, and certainly not fit to hunt. He had terribly infected bites on his back and shoulders. Stormlash, who knew quite a bit about herbs in spite of his being a warrior, offered to treat his wound. Flaybreeze and I hunted for him, sneaking out of camp whenever possible to give him fresh-kill, while Stormlash slunk out at night with stolen herbs. I recall that we left camp quite a lot, enough to make Robinstar suspicious, but as we took great pains not to be discovered, no cat ever found out about our secret. The apprentice's condition gradually became less severe, until one day, he spoke to us. These were his exact words.

'My name is Adderpaw, the apprentice of Lostheart, and I will never forget how cats from another Clan took care of me when I was close to death. While I was sleeping, Star Clan sent a message to me, and since it is you who made me well again, it is only you with whom I shall share their words.'

"He paused for a moment, lost in thought, then continued. 'Star Clan has told me that River Clan is in grave danger. Beware the predator within your Clan, for if a fox is cunning enough, it can overtake even the swiftest bird.'

"When I asked him what the meaning of all that was, he merely shook his head and replied, 'I do not know, friend, but it is the message which Star Clan has chosen to share with me. I must be going now; I've been missing for half a moon. Lostheart will be wondering where I am.' And with that, he was gone.

"Many nights I spent lying awake, pondering this message. What could it mean? Neither Flaybreeze nor Stormlash could answer me, though I questioned them time and time again. They were obviously thinking about it as much as I was, but none of us could decipher Star Clan's words. We still remained in contact with Adderpaw, however, and upon the day he announced that he had been made a warrior, we were just as delighted as he was.

"Not much happened in River Clan for some time. I foolishly allowed the message from Star Clan to be pushed from my mind, thinking that nothing would come of it. Perhaps Adderpaw, or Adderfang, as he is called nowadays, had simply been delirious, or maybe he had imagined that Star Clan sent him a message. We contented ourselves with these improbable thoughts, lying to ourselves to ease our consciences, simply because we could not believe what we did not understand. Young cats often think that way.

"Well, as Star Clan would have it, when I was having one of my nighttime conversations with Adderfang, I overheard Sandstar talking to another cat. They weren't that far away from Sunningrocks, where Adderfang and I were sitting, and it sounded like they were approaching us. The two of us went down to investigate, and, after traveling a short distance, saw that Sandstar was talking to the Thunder Clan leader, Blackstar. They were discussing the best time to catch Robinstar unawares and kill him, and they decided that night was the night to execute their ghastly plan.

"Naturally, being the young fool that I was, I attacked Sandstar the moment I saw that Blackstar had left. He defeated me and left me with only one remaining eye. Adderfang helped me during the fight; he could hardly believe that his Clan leader could behave so treacherously, and he wished to aid me in getting rid of Sandstar. He did not escape alive.

"The next day, I found that Sandstar had succeeded in murdering Robinstar. Since he was the deputy of River Clan, he became the next leader, and he banished me and my two companions, Flaybreeze and Stormlash. His excuse was that we were plotting to kill him with a Thunder Clan cat. Since River Clan would believe anything that came out of that silver-tongued wretch's mouth, they did not question Sandstar's words, and we were ordered to leave the clan at once. It was a very clever move on Sandstar's behalf. He got rid of any evidence of his traitorous actions when he forced us to leave River Clan. Only then did I realize the significance of Star Clan's message. The cunning fox was Sandstar, overcoming the bird, which stood for Robinstar.

"Flaybreeze, Stormlash and I have been living as rogues ever since. The only reason I have not left the area is because I want revenge for Adderfang's death. He...he was like a brother to me, and neither he nor I shall be at peace until his death is avenged. Besides, I cannot allow the evil of Sandstar to destroy my old clan, though I have no desire to return to River Clan after what happened there.

"For many years, I thought that my story should come to an end at this point, but today it has grown longer. A cat, horribly wounded, staggered into this clearing earlier today. He smelled of Thunder Clan and went by the name of Rainfur. I am guessing that this is the same Rainfur as was your mentor, Shadow. He said that Thunder Clan was going to attack River Clan, and he meant to warn them, which is why he did not rest here long. I covered up his scent and footprints so that no cat would know where he had been. Unfortunately, from what you have told me, Thunder Clan has already attacked River Clan. Still, Rainfur meant well. He had witnessed the murder of Robinstar, and he thought that by joining Thunder Clan, he could save his true Clan. However, he has realized the error of his deeds. I doubt that he knew what he was doing when he agreed to Blackstar's terms."

Violetscar yawned and stretched, looking up at the sky.

Shadow's mind roiled with the strange thoughts that were bombarding him. _So he really was a traitor, but in the end, he turned back. _

_Oh, Rainfur, if only I could talk to you now._

Shadow glanced at Echo, trying to decide whether to wake her or to let her sleep. He heard a loud hiss behind him and whipped around.

The source of the noise was Flaybreeze, his nose quivering as he fearfully crouched close to the ground. Shadow noticed that his claws were out.

"What is it, Flaybreeze?" Violetscar questioned sharply.

Before Flaybreeze could answer, the smell washed over them like a tidal wave. Shadow's eyes grew wide with horror as he recognized the cloying scent.

_Badger!_


End file.
